Copedog's ADA 60P - First Reef

[Copedog]

Hello Nano Reefers.

 

I've been researching and gathering equipment for the past couple months and figured I'd better start my journal.

 

This is going to be my first saltwater tank after having kept a Spec V freshwater for several years.  Both are dresser top tanks in my kids rooms. I use this hobby to try and teach my boys patience and responsibility which is lacking in today's world. Learning about science and biology is a nice side benefit. The Spec is in my 8 year olds room and the 60P will be in the twins room, they are 6.

 

My focus in researching and with the Spec has been on simple, low maintenance setups. The Spec only gets topped off weekly and fed every couple days. I am hoping to achieve a similar result in the 60P, though I know a saltwater tank will involve more especially until it matures some.

 

For the 60P I plan to emulate either Hey's July 2015 TOTM or DAPellegrini's Oct 2008 TOTM.  I am meeting with a local reefer to get some live rock/sand and what I find will determine which scape I will use.  Either way I plan to keep easy corals and lightly stock. I am also planning to use macro algae to help keep things balanced.

 

I'm sure I will be seeking help in the months to come.

 

This site has been a great resource and I look forward to sharing my experience here. 

 

Scott

 

Equipment

 

Spectrapure refurb RO/DI

ADA 60P 17 gallon

Nanobox Duo - old school body with new guts from Dave. 

MP10QD

Cobalt Neotherm 75W

Misc stuff for saltwater mixing, water changes, etc.

HOB if needed.

 

 

 

 

 

Freshwater anubias tank with a single pea puffer.

 

 

[Copedog]

Well the tank is wet!  Leak testing with some RODI.  I'm waiting on my tank mat to get here before I start cycling. Old school Duo from Dave at Nanobox should ship this week as well. Some Tropic Eden Miniflakes and Fritz Salt was delivered yesterday. Only thing really yet to be acquired is the live rock. 

 

I have a question about the MP10QD.

 

How quiet should it be?  How far away should I be before I can't hear it?

 

Its new, but was an early unit made in March 2015.

 

I have it set on Reef Crest about 30% max. I can hear it across the room at pretty much all speeds.

 

I have taken apart the wet side and tried multiple alignment adjustments, but it is never really quiet (not really loud either, just not silent). 

 

Should I wait a few days to see if it breaks in or keep fiddling??

 

 

[HarryPotter]

Keep fiddling. Should be totally silent under 50%. If you have receipt, maybe should send it in to see if it’s defective. 

[Copedog]

Thanks for the reply Mr. Potter.

 

I just received this pump new last week even though it has a manufacture date of March 2015.  I can't get it quiet no matter what I do. When I do get it aligned to its minimum noise level, the wet and dry are a 1/16th off center or more.

 

Hopefully I just need a new wet side.

 

I've got a ticket started with EcoTech service and I have sent in pics and videos.

 

I'll keep you updated.

 

Scott

[Copedog]

EcoTech shipped me out a replacement wet side today.  Pretty nice customer service.  Lets hope that will fix the noise issue.

 

Dave is also upgrading my Duo to a modern style "used" body, I had originally ordered a discounted old style body with new arrays/bluefish. Should ship early next week.  Again, nice customer service especially since he offered the upgrade out of the blue.

 

I've read this hobby takes patience. Sometimes the patience is needed before you even really start. 

 

Hopefully I can get some rock and sand cycling late next week. 

 

Scott

[Copedog]

Received the replacement MP10 wet side yesterday. Boy did it fix the noise issue. Its nice and quiet now.  In comparing the two wet sides, the original allows the impeller to float forward and backward on the shaft, but the new one does not. The movement is really noticeable if you just shake it back and forth in your hand. Noticeable clicking on the original, no movement on the replacement. Anyway I'm happy that it is fixed.

 

Dave is finishing up my Duo. Should be here next week.

 

I do have a question about people's experience with aquacultured rock like KPA or TBS.  I've pretty much settled on starting out with 10lbs of this type of rock. I can always get more locally if I need to add some. I think the kids would enjoy seeing all the critters/macros that come on it.

 

Do you guys "cure/soft cycle" it in the tank or a separate tub/container? 

 

My tank is only filled with RODI at the moment, but it is located in the twins room.  I could place the rock in the tank to let it cycle. I could also use a container and cycle it in my garage. That way any odors are kept out of the house and any water changes would require less volume. Lighting would be my issue in the garage.

 

Thoughts?

 

Scott

[Copedog]

Some progress.  Light has arrived and 12lbs of KPA rock as well. Hope to add sand in a few days when I'm happy with my scape and any soft cycle is over.

 

 

[Type-H20]

The two tanks you cite as motivation are beautiful choices and it looks like you’re starting out in the right direction to achieve something similar & of course unique.  Really like that you keep the tanks in your kid’s rooms to build interest and enthusiasm too.  Will be following along. 

[Copedog]

Got the sand added and the cycle, if there really was one, is done.  I was getting about 2ppm of ammonia on my freshwater API test, but I never got any nitrite or nitrate. I don't have the saltwater card for the API so I was guessing it was around or a little below 1ppm using an online picture of both cards.  I began to suspect that the API was giving me incorrect results so I got a Salifert ammonia kit yesterday.  It shows less than .25ppm.  I'm not sure I ever had a spike since the API may have been bogus.

 

 

There is tons of life on these rocks - feather dusters, fan worms, spaghetti worms, sponges, several macros, couple snails, and I have heard the telltale click of a pistol shrimp.  The little red mithrax finally showed himself this morning so he is still kicking.

 

 

A couple days ago I was looking things over with a magnifying glass when I saw what I thought looked like a tiny isopod. It was white and had black eyes and was no bigger than a flea. I only saw it for a second so I hoped it was really some other kind of pod.  Then last nite I saw something bigger poking out if the rock. I could see what looked like external gills fluttering, but could never make it out well.  Then this morning I found this just under the sand up against the glass in the left corner.   

 

 

My cyber sleuthing leads me to think this is a cirolanid isopod. Hopefully there are not many.  Since I haven't added any livestock, I am going to try the bottle trap and see if there are any more. I'm lucky I caught it early and I can wait them out before having to feed anything in the tank.  Its kind of a bummer, but you have to take the good with the bad. I tried to feed it some flake food thinking if it was a bad one it would eat it.  It has ignored it. I know its hard to try to tell the different types apart so we will see what the trap brings.

 

The exercise in patience continues. (Especially for me - ha)

 

 

[William]

What does it look like on the bottom 

[Copedog]

Hi William.

 

Do you mean what the underside looks like?

 

I still have it alive in an API test tube. I couldn't find an exact picture online but it is pretty close to this one.

 

 

The eyes don't seem to have that menacing look and they are smaller than most photos show.  

 

I don't have a good macro camera, just an iPhone,  Let me know what you are looking for specifically and I will try to look for it.

 

Thanks for the reply.

 

 

[Copedog]

Found a couple of pics that are very close to what I caught.  Legs definitely can be seen outside the body.

 

This picture looks exactly like it. Round eyes that are more on the side than the front.

 

 

Anyone have any ideas on if it is the fish attaching or scavenging type?

 

Scott

[Copedog]

Monthly update time.

 

I caught one more isopod a few days after the first one and I have not seen any sign since.  Hopefully that was it. Fingers crossed.

 

Parameters have been stable with a little algae growth,  so I added a cleanup crew from ReefCleaners. Ordered one with hermits, but they did not survive the trip. Snails are all doing well. Algae is under control.

 

I'm not sure if I lost my red mithrax. I found what could have been a molt a couple days after adding the snails. The nessarius snails were already on it and when I removed it, i couldn't tell if was a molt or not.  I haven't seen him since. Have also seen what I think is a tiny gorilla crab. We will see what he grows up to look like. He is pinky fingernail size now.

 

I'm trying to get my design together for the coral layout.  Thinking about ordering some photo-synthetic gorgonians and ricordea from KPA.  I also live pretty close to Austin Aqua Farms so adding some of their acans is also on my list.

 

Not sure what to add to the bigger rocks. Any advise or comments are welcome!!!!

 

Reminder, this system only has a light, heater, and an MP10 so it will probably be on the "dirty" side. Nitrates are ~ 5 now.

 

Current plan.

 

 

 

[xiaoxiy]

Sweet tank, I love the mockup. Any particular reason you run a foam guard on that MP10? I didn't see any nems or small fish. IMO the foam guard gunks up pretty quickly and cuts down on flow.

[Copedog]

Thanks xiaoxiy.  I usually don't run the MP10 with the guard.  I think at the time I took the pic, I was scraping some algae off the glass/rocks and I added it to just catch the floaters.  BTW your cleanly designed tanks added to my inspiration for this tank.  I love a clean, minimalist tank.  I hope you enjoy your setups in the new house.  I'll be following along to watch the progress.

 

I've also been playing around a little with a DSLR. It's trickier that I thought. Makes you appreciate the talent of those who post great photos here.

 

[DaveFason]

Any corals in the tank? The mockup of corals looks like a great start.

[Copedog]

No corals yet Dave.

 

I'm trying to get comfortable with the tank and it's parameters.  I'll probably add some kind of display macro and see how everything settles in nutrient wise.  Not having a mechanical filter or a skimmer is making me take it slow.  I am currently feeding a little phyto and occasionally some flakes/bloodworms/mysis just to keep the hitchhikers and snails going.  Nitates are slowly creeping up, now around 10-20ppm (Using API, I know not the best). No real algae problems so that is good.

 

The mockup is just me trying to get a plan so I can have a guide when its time to start adding corals in a month or two.  This tank is probably going to be on the more nutrient rich side. I'd like to get some suggestions on what to add to the larger/taller rocks that could handle the higher nutrients.  Tank is also only 17 gallons so coral size and growth rates are also important. Being a noob, there is lots to learn. Having the need to juggle lighting, flow, and water params is what is leading me to do make my mockup. Want to make sure everything plays well together.

 

BTW, I'm enjoying the duo. I currently have it set on natural sun mode - 12 hrs -  with the blues/violets peaking at 50% and the whites/mint 10%.  I'm constantly having to wipe little boy nose prints off the glass. I also have to do the thunderstorm demo like twice a day.

 

 

[Copedog]

Well, I am going to have to modify my previous reply of no corals yet to ...  I haven't ADDED any corals yet.

 

I spotted this guy today on the right side of the tank that I had not taken a close look at for a while. I was storing all my testing and other equipment on the dresser top between the tank and the wall. With all the stuff there, I couldn't get a good look at that side of the rock.  I had seen the tips of the polyps peeking around the corner before, but I thought it was some kind of macro algae. Finally got a good look and looks like some type of encrusting coral.

 

 

Anyone have an idea of type?  I think it's growing, but wonder if it is NPS or photosynthetic.

 

Edit: Research leads me to some kind of Star or Starlet coral.  Lesser Starlet Coral seems to be the best fit so far.  

 

Scott

 

 

Edited June 25, 2018 by Copedog

[Copedog]

 

Added 4 gorgonians, a red macro sampler pack, and 3 ricordea all from Gulf Coast Ecosystems.  Everything is doing well after a week except the ribbon gorg hasn't opened yet. It looks the same as when it arrived.  Hopefully it is still getting comfortable and will either shed or open up soon.  I had a hard time getting some of the macros to stay put with the flow needed by the gorgonians.  I ended up drilling holes in some ruble pieces and squeezing the algae in.  Will see how this approach works.

 

I feed some reef roids tonight for the first time and will do a water change in the next couple days. Plan to add a couple chromis and then let the tank balance out.

 

I'll try to add some better pics in next few days.

 

Scott

[Christopher Marks]

Your plan is coming together well @Copedog, really nice gorgonian collection! How did they respond to the first feeding?

 

Your macro algae rooting method should work fine 🙂

[DaveFason]

Looking great. I've found that some gorgs like a ton of flow. Maybe up the Vortech?

[Copedog]

The feeding didn't help the purple ribbon.  The golden plume and frilly have great polyp extension pretty much all day.  The purple brush has some PE, but not everywhere at the same time.  The ribbon has me confused. It has not shown one polyp in a week and I'm not sure what, if anything, I can do.  I've read about giving them a soft brushing which I might try if I don't see a change by Sunday.

 

The Vortech basically runs at 40% Lagoon during the night, then switches between Reefcrest and Lagoon in the 55%-65% range during the day.    I'm guessing that is 50-ish times per hour turnover. All the gorgs are moving around pretty good.

 

Nanobox Duo is set on natural sun mode with midday settings of blues/voilet 60% and white/lime 20%. 12hr cycle.

 

Did a WC today to see if that makes any difference. All my params are good with nitrates in the dirty range of 10-15.

 

Anyway, thanks for the comments. I'll keep giving updates.

 

Scott

 

 

[specore]

Looks great!

[Copedog]

On Sunday I "permanently" attached the gorgs down to some rubble doughnuts I made and buried under the sand.  I superglued the rubble in a ring with a hole in the center to hold the plug. The plugs are not glued, but are held in place securely and I like the look. Not much of the rubble is above the sand and I don't have to worry about knocking the gorgs over.

 

While I had the Purple Ribbon disturbed, I went ahead and gave it a soft brushing. I had been reluctant to mess with it hoping it would open up on its own.  Then starting Monday, it started to shed. I helped it along with some turkey-basting and it looks totally happy now. All 4 gorgs have great PE. 

 

Also attached the Rics to some rubble and got them placed.

 

I've added a bonded pair of Mocha Clownfish, shockingly named Coral and Marlin by the boys. Also picked up an ORA Blue Polyp Monti Cap frag to put me over the free shipping limit from Divers Den. Attached its plug to rubble and have it in the front on the sand bed to see how it acclimates. 

 

Thats gonna be it for a while.  I'll try to get some pics when I have time. Summertime is pretty busy.

 

Scott

[Copedog]

 

Getting a few diatoms with all the sand bed disturbance. Snails are happy about that.
 

Going to let things settle down for a while.  Kids are super happy to have some fish.

 

Scott